A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device with a bonus scheme wherein a player receives various awards when a symbol marker is associated with or visits various symbols along a path, and the symbol marker changes paths when the player reaches certain path change conditions.
Games which involve a path and the use of number generators are well known. Several traditional games include a path which is cyclical. If a player steadily advances in one direction along the cyclical path, the player eventually reaches the player""s starting point. Furthermore, the path includes various symbols which act as locations for a player""s marker. Certain symbols are associated with events which increase the player""s chances of winning the game or gaining value. Other symbols are associated with events which decrease the player""s chances of winning the game or gaining value. Typically, the object of these types of games is to continue along the path while accumulating value and avoiding a loss of points or being eliminated from the game.
Contemporary gaming devices, such as slot machines, traditionally involve various primary games and bonus round games. One known gaming device which includes movement along a path is disclosed in WIPO Patent No. WO0012186, published on Mar. 9, 2000 and assigned on its face to WMS Gaming Inc. To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide gaming machines with new bonus schemes which incorporate new path concepts.
The present invention overcomes the above shortcomings by providing a bonus scheme and method which provides players with a plurality of paths, a plurality of symbols on each path, at least one symbol marker and at least one path change condition.
Each path includes a plurality of symbols aligned in a predetermined shape such as a circle, polygon, line or curve. The gaming device preferably displays the different paths to the player at once. For example, the paths can be arranged vertically, horizontally or in any other fashion on the display device of the gaming device. Each path is preferably functionally cyclical, even though the path may be displayed in a linear form.
The gaming device preferably provides the player with one symbol marker, in visual or audio-visual form. During the bonus round, the gaming device causes the symbol marker to land on or visit various symbols. The term visit, as used herein, includes being adjacent to, on or associated with a symbol. When the symbol marker visits a symbol, the symbol marker identifies which symbol it is currently visiting.
When a player reaches a path change condition during the bonus round, the symbol marker moves from one path to a different path. A path change condition is any predetermined symbol, event or series of events which, when reached by a player, causes the symbol marker to change paths. Preferably, a path change condition occurs when a symbol marker visits one or more predetermined symbols.
In one preferred embodiment, a path change condition occurs when a symbol marker visits a particular type of symbol a certain number of times (hereafter, xe2x80x9caccumulation symbolxe2x80x9d). In another preferred embodiment, a path change condition occurs when a symbol marker visits certain symbols which together constitute a predetermined combination of symbols (hereafter, xe2x80x9ccombination symbolsxe2x80x9d). In yet another preferred embodiment, a path change condition occurs when a symbol marker completes a certain number of trips through a particular path.
In addition, the paths include one or more award symbols which are associated with bonus values so that when a symbol marker visits such an award symbol, the gaming device awards the player with the associated bonus value. Preferably, one or more of the paths include symbols which, when visited by a symbol marker, terminate the bonus round (hereafter, xe2x80x9cterminating symbolsxe2x80x9d).
In operation, the gaming device causes the symbol marker to visit a symbol. The gaming device may cause this visit automatically, or preferably the gaming device does so by enabling the player to push a play button or other activator. After the player pushes the player button, preferably the gaming device displays a visit indicator to the player. This message indicates the number of symbols the symbol marker will move forward or in any other direction. The gaming device enables the player to push the play button repeatedly until the symbol marker reaches a predetermined termination condition or achieves a predetermined award limit, at which time the bonus round terminates. A termination condition is any event which causes the gaming device to terminate the bonus round, such as the symbol marker visiting a terminating symbol or terminating symbol combination. As long as the player avoids the terminating conditions and the award limit, the game enables the player to gain bonus value. The player also has the opportunity to change paths by reaching path change conditions.
If a path change condition occurs, the symbol marker moves to a different path where, as with the previous path, the player can push the player button to cause the symbol marker to move. Here, the player can gain bonus value, reach another path change condition or reach a terminating condition. The player can change paths as many times as the predetermined design of the gaming device allows. Preferably, each path has different symbols, bonus values, path change conditions and/or accompanying graphics.
Eventually the player will reach a terminating condition or else the player will reach the award limit, at which time the bonus round terminates. When the bonus round terminates, the gaming device will accumulate and award all bonus values which the player gained. Finally, the gaming device will provide the player with any credits gained during the bonus round.
The bonus scheme of the present invention involves a player moving a symbol marker along a path. The player has the opportunity to gain bonus values associated with this path. The player can also change paths and gain bonus values associated with other paths. This type of bonus scheme increases the enjoyment which player experience when playing gaming devices.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device with a bonus scheme which involves movement along a plurality of paths and path change conditions.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.